Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 17

Gerry Machado was born in Turlock into a third-generation San Joaquin Valley farm family. He has valley roots and values that go back over 100 years. His Paternal grandfather lived in Atwater before buying the family farm in Turlock. He has lived his entire adult life in the 17th Assembly District and has built a career in public and private life that suits him ideally for service to its residents in the California State Assembly.

He was raised in Tracy and graduated from Tracy High. After marrying his high school sweetheart and attending college in Stockton, Gerry entered the world of business. He owned a successful insurance and financial services agency in Tracy from 1977 to 1992. He was based with Gustine insurance agency Rico, Pfitzer and Pires in the early to mid 1990's before returning his base of operations to Tracy. He serves clients from Merced to Lodi and Escalon to Livermore.

He has been married to his wife Shirley for 34 years. They have three children, Shawndreya, Michelle, and Matthew. All graduated from local public schools. Matt is currently a junior at San Jose State.

In June 1996, Gerry was nominated to serve as the public member on the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) of San Joaquin County. He earned the trust of both Democrat and Republican elected officials on the commission and was confirmed by unanimous vote in each of his three terms. He was also chosen as Chairman in 1999 and 2004 unanimously. Both are a telling display of his ability to work effectively and win support from people from all points of view. In his role with LAFCo, he represents the interests of the public in the entire county of San Joaquin.

Gerry was called a "breath of fresh air" by a leading local newspaper. He continues to display his concern of working together to solve local problems by his actions.

In 2002 he was elected to the Board of Education of Tracy Unified School District and was the top vote getter. He currently serves as President of the board and has built a reputation for effectiveness and innovation that will serve him well in Sacramento.

Gerry has been active over the years in leadership positions in the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Jaycees, explorer /police cadets and as a member of the Yosemite Club, Republican Central Committee and FESM.